Saturday, March 29, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
God"s workers
Two friends of ours from church, Jeanette and her daughter Makayla are in S. Africa for a month working in an orphanage. Many children get dropped of at this place to the point they have a drop-box for the babies, and many are very sick. Please pray for God"s strength and protection for them during their time helping there in Africa and for their safe return home. Thank you!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
BoswelIia 90 update!!!!
Started Boswelia 90 the new brand we were going to use this year---it has basically NO taste!
This brand is almost 100 % pure, so the other ingredients in the previous brands we used must have gave it the nasty taste-----Zeke is very happy!
Will be walking around Wal-Mart today to get some contractions going. It's all good. He will come in God"s time.
This brand is almost 100 % pure, so the other ingredients in the previous brands we used must have gave it the nasty taste-----Zeke is very happy!
Will be walking around Wal-Mart today to get some contractions going. It's all good. He will come in God"s time.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
No birth,but a Blessed day
No birth today, even though we went into the woods, and did some chain sawing and wood gathering-----We let Amy just have a nice walk through the woods.......
Hadie having fun!!
Zeke and Selah taking a break
The whole gang on the 4-wheeler
Amy found some forrest onions-------Zeke ate them all day long
Moving the BIG logs.
jamiev
Hadie having fun!!
Zeke and Selah taking a break
The whole gang on the 4-wheeler
Amy found some forrest onions-------Zeke ate them all day long
Moving the BIG logs.
jamiev
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Check out this article on the national homeschool basketball championship
p.s. I do not care for the NY times, but this is an interesting article, click on the link below
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/sports/16homeschool.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Spani&st=nyt&oref=slogin
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/sports/16homeschool.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Spani&st=nyt&oref=slogin
It worked for us.
Our son Zeke, up to a few years back had LOTS of allergy problem starting in the spring. He would come in from the fields or the woods and his eyes would be swollen and red, a runny nose, and sneezing. These symptoms stayed untill mid to late summer. They would subside when he went inside, but come back when he went out again. I had the same type of issues as a child also, and was on every pill from those days used for allergies. We did not want Zeke to go the same route. After much searching, and trying lots of things, Amy stumbled upon Boswellia, and it works very, very well. The Boswellia story is quite interesting, and it has Bible based ingredients in it. You have to start it about this time of year for it to be effective for the early season allergies. Amy puts the powder from a capsule (yucky) in jam or jelly and Zeke eats it right up. ( I don"t think he really tastes it though, He will eat anything.)
This is not an add for Boswellia 90, this just happens to be the brand Amy has bought this year, there are others, but I think this one is the most concentrated so we will use less.
Check it out-------------------jamiev
Below is the add that can be seen on the Truebotanica website, I know it worked for Zeke"s allergies, as for the other things it touts to help, I can not say:
Boswellia 90
The most potent boswellia product on the market known to fight the inflammation caused by the
5-Lipoxygenase enzyme (std. to 90% AKBA, the most active anti inflammatory component of boswellia; the others on the market 1-3% AKBA).
Does not contain harmful quantities of other boswellic acids.
A proprietary rhythmical mixing process ensures highest bioavailability.
Tested in clinical practice.
As a nutritional support frequently provides the best natural treatment and companion in arthritis, colitis and other inflammatory bowel diseases, allergies, fatigue, asthma, COPD, a llergic rhinitis, chemical sensitivities, skin ailments like acne, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis.
Additional anti-inflammatory activity and pain relief can be achieved through combination with Cox-2 inhibitors such as the True Botanica Curcumin Forte but also prescription medications such as ibuprofen and others.
Formulated by doctors.
Best price in category.
Helps to increase your health and lowers your medical costs
The Frankincense tree:
Frankincense gum resin- from which the original incense is made- is not easy to obtain. It takes a lot of the original gum resin to concentrate it so that the most active components are emphasized, for a higher therapeutic benefit.
The resin is obtained from the frankincense tree (also known as the boswellia serrata tree), with one tree supplying approximately one kilo of the resin per year. The world consumption of Frankincense both in incense form and as an internal nutritional supplement far exceeds many tons a year.
From the milky white resin a more potent and pharmaceutically active extract is obtained
Traditional and Non-Conventional Views on the Use of Boswellic acids
Boswellia serrata is indigenous to Africa, India and the Arabian Peninsula. The fragrant resins have been used since Antiquity in incense and embalming liquids. In ancient Ayurvedic texts the gum resin is noted for its healing properties on fever, skin diseases, rheumatism, respiratory diseases including laryngitis and cough with copious amounts of sputum, liver disorders, ringworm, boils, strengthening of teeth, healing eye inflammations, enhancing the growth of hair, improving appetite, wound healing, soothing mouth sores, improving diarrhea, general restorative, tonic effects and more.
In more recent times Rudolf Steiner PhD has pointed out the significant energetic healing properties of these resins in both adults as well as in the developing infant. He especially emphasizes the beneficial effects of these resins on breast milk quality, the developing brain of the young child and their overall ability to maintain “a healthy spirit in a healthy body.” (Cosmic Workings in Earth and Man, R. Steiner, R. Steiner Publishing Co., London, 1952.)
Does it work?
Many doctors have given this ultra concentrated form of boswellia over the last two years as an accompanying dietary supplement when other modalities were insufficient.
In many cases nutritional supplementation with Boswellia 90™ was sufficient on its own.
The vast majority of cases involved fatigue, asthma, allergies, arthritis, pain syndromes, colitis and other inflammatory bowel diseases and allergic skin conditions. The results showed improvement in over 90% of cases. Typical comments from patients were: “noted rapid relief response”, “profound difference”, or “best allergy season ever”, etc.
Here are some other individual cases
Cases studies:
M.J., a nine year old girl with a history of asthma and allergic rhinitis first came for evaluation for a history of persistent and recurrent symptoms including wheeze with intermittent respiratory distress, cough, and nasal congestion in spite of being on a Flovent corticosteroid inhaler to prevent symptoms and an albuterol inhaler multiple times per week to treat persistent symptoms . Occasionally rescue treatment with oral steroids and Zyrtec antihistamine syrup was needed. After adding Boswellia 90 % her condition improved dramatically. She was able to successfully reduce her medications and yet feel better. Over the last two years, she has maintained good control, sometimes going stretches of months without needing any medication. Only once or twice has she required increased treatment with Flovent inhaler for several days duration and has not required any subsequent oral steroid bursts. She rarely requires the addition of Zyrtec. She is in overall good health and the family is quite relieved and grateful for the changes. (Please see the caution below about discontinuing prescription medication without your doctor’s approval D.I., a seven year old girl, presented with new onset Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Initial symptoms included severe right knee swelling and pain, varied toe swelling and pain, and hip pain. Over the initial months of the illness, affected areas included knees, hips, feet, hands, and back and she was also diagnosed with uveitis. After much of their own research, the family decided they wanted to pursue a more holistic therapy program. Central to her nutritional regimen has been Boswellia 90™. On this program she had some relief within 4-6 weeks and within 3-4 months was experiencing significant relief of symptoms with decreased swelling and increased range of motion. Over the past three years, she has had occasional mild flares, improved with increased dosage of her therapies. At baseline, the only evidence of her disease is minimal swelling and stiffness of two toes. Much to the surprise of her ophthalmologist, the uveitis is fully resolved.
A.C., a 3y4m male, was seen for frequent severe respiratory infections including pneumonia, croup, breathing difficulty, sinusitis and frequent ear infections. During the previous six months, he had only 3 weeks total time without illness and had been placed on multiple courses of antibiotics (approx. 5 times in 5-6 months). After initial presentation with the above history, the Boswellia 90™ was at the core of his treatment plan. Over the following four months, he has had no significant illness. There were two brief episodes of nasal congestion, at which time his mother increased the dosage as directed and symptoms resolved in 2-3 days. His mother came for evaluation by the referral of one of his therapists and was initially skeptical of holistic therapies. She is now very happy and surprised he has gone this long without more significant illness and continues to do quite well.
Current ScienceMost chronic illnesses are understood today to have a significant inflammatory component as one of the root causes. Our diet, stress, genetics, and low physical activity levels enhance this inflammation. Gum resin extracts of frankincense (Boswellia serrata) have been used for centuries for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases.
AKBA, acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid, is the most potent anti-inflammatory fraction of the boswellic acids. Principally among its many effects is the inhibition of the so called 5-Lipoxygenase enzyme and the pro-inflammatory leukotriene by-products. It is becoming increasingly clear that 5-Lipoxygenase is present in higher amounts in virtually all significant major chronic illnesses.
Recent findings show this is the case in:
atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases;
bone resorption and osteoporosis;
skin illnesses such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne and contact dermatitis;
cancers such as pancreatic, bladder, breast, brain and prostate;
neurological degenerative ailments and migraine;
venous stasis;
allergies, allergic sinusitis, and more.
More conditions are regularly added. Recently even such illnesses as Alzheimer’s disease, lack of attention, and anger have been postulated to be based on inflammatory processes taking place in the brain.
This is not an add for Boswellia 90, this just happens to be the brand Amy has bought this year, there are others, but I think this one is the most concentrated so we will use less.
Check it out-------------------jamiev
Below is the add that can be seen on the Truebotanica website, I know it worked for Zeke"s allergies, as for the other things it touts to help, I can not say:
Boswellia 90
The most potent boswellia product on the market known to fight the inflammation caused by the
5-Lipoxygenase enzyme (std. to 90% AKBA, the most active anti inflammatory component of boswellia; the others on the market 1-3% AKBA).
Does not contain harmful quantities of other boswellic acids.
A proprietary rhythmical mixing process ensures highest bioavailability.
Tested in clinical practice.
As a nutritional support frequently provides the best natural treatment and companion in arthritis, colitis and other inflammatory bowel diseases, allergies, fatigue, asthma, COPD, a llergic rhinitis, chemical sensitivities, skin ailments like acne, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis.
Additional anti-inflammatory activity and pain relief can be achieved through combination with Cox-2 inhibitors such as the True Botanica Curcumin Forte but also prescription medications such as ibuprofen and others.
Formulated by doctors.
Best price in category.
Helps to increase your health and lowers your medical costs
The Frankincense tree:
Frankincense gum resin- from which the original incense is made- is not easy to obtain. It takes a lot of the original gum resin to concentrate it so that the most active components are emphasized, for a higher therapeutic benefit.
The resin is obtained from the frankincense tree (also known as the boswellia serrata tree), with one tree supplying approximately one kilo of the resin per year. The world consumption of Frankincense both in incense form and as an internal nutritional supplement far exceeds many tons a year.
From the milky white resin a more potent and pharmaceutically active extract is obtained
Traditional and Non-Conventional Views on the Use of Boswellic acids
Boswellia serrata is indigenous to Africa, India and the Arabian Peninsula. The fragrant resins have been used since Antiquity in incense and embalming liquids. In ancient Ayurvedic texts the gum resin is noted for its healing properties on fever, skin diseases, rheumatism, respiratory diseases including laryngitis and cough with copious amounts of sputum, liver disorders, ringworm, boils, strengthening of teeth, healing eye inflammations, enhancing the growth of hair, improving appetite, wound healing, soothing mouth sores, improving diarrhea, general restorative, tonic effects and more.
In more recent times Rudolf Steiner PhD has pointed out the significant energetic healing properties of these resins in both adults as well as in the developing infant. He especially emphasizes the beneficial effects of these resins on breast milk quality, the developing brain of the young child and their overall ability to maintain “a healthy spirit in a healthy body.” (Cosmic Workings in Earth and Man, R. Steiner, R. Steiner Publishing Co., London, 1952.)
Does it work?
Many doctors have given this ultra concentrated form of boswellia over the last two years as an accompanying dietary supplement when other modalities were insufficient.
In many cases nutritional supplementation with Boswellia 90™ was sufficient on its own.
The vast majority of cases involved fatigue, asthma, allergies, arthritis, pain syndromes, colitis and other inflammatory bowel diseases and allergic skin conditions. The results showed improvement in over 90% of cases. Typical comments from patients were: “noted rapid relief response”, “profound difference”, or “best allergy season ever”, etc.
Here are some other individual cases
Cases studies:
M.J., a nine year old girl with a history of asthma and allergic rhinitis first came for evaluation for a history of persistent and recurrent symptoms including wheeze with intermittent respiratory distress, cough, and nasal congestion in spite of being on a Flovent corticosteroid inhaler to prevent symptoms and an albuterol inhaler multiple times per week to treat persistent symptoms . Occasionally rescue treatment with oral steroids and Zyrtec antihistamine syrup was needed. After adding Boswellia 90 % her condition improved dramatically. She was able to successfully reduce her medications and yet feel better. Over the last two years, she has maintained good control, sometimes going stretches of months without needing any medication. Only once or twice has she required increased treatment with Flovent inhaler for several days duration and has not required any subsequent oral steroid bursts. She rarely requires the addition of Zyrtec. She is in overall good health and the family is quite relieved and grateful for the changes. (Please see the caution below about discontinuing prescription medication without your doctor’s approval D.I., a seven year old girl, presented with new onset Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Initial symptoms included severe right knee swelling and pain, varied toe swelling and pain, and hip pain. Over the initial months of the illness, affected areas included knees, hips, feet, hands, and back and she was also diagnosed with uveitis. After much of their own research, the family decided they wanted to pursue a more holistic therapy program. Central to her nutritional regimen has been Boswellia 90™. On this program she had some relief within 4-6 weeks and within 3-4 months was experiencing significant relief of symptoms with decreased swelling and increased range of motion. Over the past three years, she has had occasional mild flares, improved with increased dosage of her therapies. At baseline, the only evidence of her disease is minimal swelling and stiffness of two toes. Much to the surprise of her ophthalmologist, the uveitis is fully resolved.
A.C., a 3y4m male, was seen for frequent severe respiratory infections including pneumonia, croup, breathing difficulty, sinusitis and frequent ear infections. During the previous six months, he had only 3 weeks total time without illness and had been placed on multiple courses of antibiotics (approx. 5 times in 5-6 months). After initial presentation with the above history, the Boswellia 90™ was at the core of his treatment plan. Over the following four months, he has had no significant illness. There were two brief episodes of nasal congestion, at which time his mother increased the dosage as directed and symptoms resolved in 2-3 days. His mother came for evaluation by the referral of one of his therapists and was initially skeptical of holistic therapies. She is now very happy and surprised he has gone this long without more significant illness and continues to do quite well.
Current ScienceMost chronic illnesses are understood today to have a significant inflammatory component as one of the root causes. Our diet, stress, genetics, and low physical activity levels enhance this inflammation. Gum resin extracts of frankincense (Boswellia serrata) have been used for centuries for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases.
AKBA, acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid, is the most potent anti-inflammatory fraction of the boswellic acids. Principally among its many effects is the inhibition of the so called 5-Lipoxygenase enzyme and the pro-inflammatory leukotriene by-products. It is becoming increasingly clear that 5-Lipoxygenase is present in higher amounts in virtually all significant major chronic illnesses.
Recent findings show this is the case in:
atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases;
bone resorption and osteoporosis;
skin illnesses such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne and contact dermatitis;
cancers such as pancreatic, bladder, breast, brain and prostate;
neurological degenerative ailments and migraine;
venous stasis;
allergies, allergic sinusitis, and more.
More conditions are regularly added. Recently even such illnesses as Alzheimer’s disease, lack of attention, and anger have been postulated to be based on inflammatory processes taking place in the brain.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Keepers of the Door
And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:
He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king's person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city.
So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.
And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land. Jeremiah 52: 24-27
The modern day preacher is the " keeper of the door" to our churches these days. These doorkeepers in the book of Jeremiah, along with the priests, kings and others, eventually let the word of God slip out of the door, and let false teachings and eventually idol worship slip in.
The turning away from God was the cause of the Babylonians to be used to punish the children of Israel.
We on church boards, Deacons, Elders, --and all Preachers, must keep the door closed to the outside influences of this world today. We must never let the Word of God be usurped by anything.
Otherwise the Babylon of today will come in to our churches, and we do not have 70 years to give to captivity.
The Lord had those doorkeepers in Jerusalem put to death by the Babylonian king, for not doing their job correctly. I think when we stand before Him, if we have let Babylon in through the door we were to guard, whether in the church or our "Family" door, He won"t be too happy with us either.
Jamiev
He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king's person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city.
So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.
And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land. Jeremiah 52: 24-27
The modern day preacher is the " keeper of the door" to our churches these days. These doorkeepers in the book of Jeremiah, along with the priests, kings and others, eventually let the word of God slip out of the door, and let false teachings and eventually idol worship slip in.
The turning away from God was the cause of the Babylonians to be used to punish the children of Israel.
We on church boards, Deacons, Elders, --and all Preachers, must keep the door closed to the outside influences of this world today. We must never let the Word of God be usurped by anything.
Otherwise the Babylon of today will come in to our churches, and we do not have 70 years to give to captivity.
The Lord had those doorkeepers in Jerusalem put to death by the Babylonian king, for not doing their job correctly. I think when we stand before Him, if we have let Babylon in through the door we were to guard, whether in the church or our "Family" door, He won"t be too happy with us either.
Jamiev
Friday, March 21, 2008
Directions to May 10th Fellowship Breakfast
From the North East ( Chicago area)
- Interstate 80 West to milemarker 90 at route 23
- Go south(left) 13 miles to Leonore rd.
- Turn West (right) and go 5 miles to East 12th Rd.
- Go south (left) 1.5 miles to our sign
- Go .8 miles to camp
From the Northwest and Southwest
1. Go to junction of interstate 39 and route 18
2. Go East 7.5 miles to East 12th Rd. ( A Church with tall steeple is on the corner)
3. Go North (left) 3.5 miles to our sign.
4. Go Right .6 miles to camp.
From the Southeast
1. Go to Streator Illinois, (the junction of route 23 and route 18)
2. Go West 5 miles to East 12th Rd. ( A Church with tall steeple is on the corner)
3. Go North (Right) 3.5 miles to our sign
4. Go Right .6 miles to the camp
STREATOR BAPTIST CAMP sign on the East side of East 12th rd.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Spring Break---Lets Chop Wood!!!!!!!
Homeschoolers got their work done early today. Then we played a little , the weather was beautiful.
Soon it was off to work----to the woods to chop it up!
Even 20 month old Hadie is a hard worker. She stacked a bunch of wood, whatever she sees big brother and sister do, she wants to be right there with them. But school will take a spring break now with the 4th homeschooler a couple of days away from coming out to see us.
jamiev
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Streator Illinois
Streator Freedom Association: Had the honor of erecting these crosses in the park last week.
Homeschoolers
And all God"s people said---------------------------Amen!
Baby due in 4 days, and she is still hard at homeschooling
Baby due in 4 days, and she is still hard at homeschooling
Global Warning--There is no Global Warming
This is not Antarctica.
Michigan has had the coldest winter in decades. Water expands to freeze, and at Mackinaw City the water in Lake Huron below the surface ice was supercooled. It expanded to break through the surface ice and froze into this incredible wave.
Jamiev
Michigan has had the coldest winter in decades. Water expands to freeze, and at Mackinaw City the water in Lake Huron below the surface ice was supercooled. It expanded to break through the surface ice and froze into this incredible wave.
Jamiev
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
MORNING FUNNY
I am 43 years old, any day Amy will God willing have our 4th child. I said to my son a minute ago, ---Hey Zeke, I will be 63 years old when the baby Momma is carrying turns 20 years old!!!
Our 5 and 1/2 year old daughter chimed in and said," Well Daddy, that just depends if you live that long."-----------Thank you for the reality check, honey.
jamiev
Our 5 and 1/2 year old daughter chimed in and said," Well Daddy, that just depends if you live that long."-----------Thank you for the reality check, honey.
jamiev
Sunday, March 16, 2008
My Thought for today
Without Jesus in My life, there is no life, to my life. That is how it was before I knew Him, the life I lived was hollow and empty, even while doing some incredibly exciting things in exciting places, according to the world"s standards. All, wasted time and meaningless events, without being in The Spirit of the Lord.
Today, simple yet profound things like seeing a butterfly flying past me, can make my knees start to buckle realizing about the awesome power, glory of our God and the love he has for us.
His Life now fills out mine, without Him I was just a shell with no purpose. Now I am filled out, and my purpose is to give Him His due praise and all the glory, and He is so worthy.
Anyone out there echo this sentiment? And all God"s people said............................amen!
Like the song by Darlene Zschech goes:::::::: Let every breath and all that I am, never cease to worship you!
Shout to the Lord, all the earth Let us sing.
Power and majesty, praise to the king
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar,
At the sound of your name.
I sing for joy at the work of your hands
Forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in you.
Thank you Jesus.
jamiev
Today, simple yet profound things like seeing a butterfly flying past me, can make my knees start to buckle realizing about the awesome power, glory of our God and the love he has for us.
His Life now fills out mine, without Him I was just a shell with no purpose. Now I am filled out, and my purpose is to give Him His due praise and all the glory, and He is so worthy.
Anyone out there echo this sentiment? And all God"s people said............................amen!
Like the song by Darlene Zschech goes:::::::: Let every breath and all that I am, never cease to worship you!
Shout to the Lord, all the earth Let us sing.
Power and majesty, praise to the king
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar,
At the sound of your name.
I sing for joy at the work of your hands
Forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in you.
Thank you Jesus.
jamiev
Syrup Story
Here is the path to the first stop on the Maple Sirup (correct spelling, see last weeks blog about it.) Farm tour. This cool little path leads to the place where we learned the history of syrup making. Supposedly an American Indian throwing a tomahawk at a rabbit, stuck the tomahawk into a maple tree and pulled it out later to see the syrup flowing out. He tasted it and liked the sweet taste of the "sweet water" that came from that tree. -------------------------
The indians would catch the sweet water in wood basins like the one below-----
Sweet water was good, but they found that if they boiled down the water, syrup was left over. YUMMMM!!!!! even better!!!!! (I just realized---Sweet water? This means they also invented Kool-aid!) They, not having any metal in those days, used a unique way to boil down the sweet water. They would heat rocks in a fire then toss then into the wood basins to evaporate the water away. That is shown in the picture below.
The wood fired stove/boiler below is a more modern way to boil the sweet water. It is poured into the top stainless steel box on boiler, as it boils down to syrup, the spout on the right side is used to siphon the syrup into the stainless pot below. Soon it would be in our tummy!
The indians would catch the sweet water in wood basins like the one below-----
Sweet water was good, but they found that if they boiled down the water, syrup was left over. YUMMMM!!!!! even better!!!!! (I just realized---Sweet water? This means they also invented Kool-aid!) They, not having any metal in those days, used a unique way to boil down the sweet water. They would heat rocks in a fire then toss then into the wood basins to evaporate the water away. That is shown in the picture below.
The wood fired stove/boiler below is a more modern way to boil the sweet water. It is poured into the top stainless steel box on boiler, as it boils down to syrup, the spout on the right side is used to siphon the syrup into the stainless pot below. Soon it would be in our tummy!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Homeschoolers Quiz
This is a one question quiz//
Name two places where everyone is a believer that Jesus is the only Way to Heaven?
1. Heaven--Glory to God
2. Hell--------Scary and sad, ----but horribly true, no one in Hell was a believer before they got there, but they most definitely were after they ended up there.
read Luke 16:19-31
Name two places where everyone is a believer that Jesus is the only Way to Heaven?
1. Heaven--Glory to God
2. Hell--------Scary and sad, ----but horribly true, no one in Hell was a believer before they got there, but they most definitely were after they ended up there.
read Luke 16:19-31
He paints sunsets
When our son Zeke was almost 4 years old, he and I were taking our first overnight trip together, where it was just the two of us. We were going to see my dad who was ill at the time. As we were on the road dusk started moving in, and there was a beautiful sunset. I said," Zeke look at that incredible sunset, isn"t that beautiful!" He looked and agreed. I then said, "Zeke, God made that sunset." Zeke paused for a moment then said, "Daddy, .....Jesus paints sunsets.
Then I remembered John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.
jamiev
Then I remembered John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.
jamiev
From Ray Comfort"s blog on the sidebar--Had to reprint here incase someone missed it------This is powerful .
THIS DAY WAS DIFFERENT“I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever.” —Sir Isaac Newton As we have seen in the previous chapter, atheists approach the Bible with a “darkened understanding” (see Ephesians 4:18) and try to make sense of it. But just as the Bible says, they cannot understand it (see 1 Corinthians 2:14). The only way the Scriptures can make sense to us is for us to read them with a humble heart that is searching for truth. God promises to resist those who are proud. Obviously, the best way for anyone to understand God’s Word is to switch on the light—to repent and trust Him who said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12).It is legitimate, though, to ask: How can we know the Bible is divinely inspired? The Bible declares that it is the Word of God, His communication to humanity, so He certainly would give us evidence that it truly is His Word. The fulfilled prophecies, the amazing consistency, and the many scientific statements of the Bible provide evidence that it is supernatural in origin. We will look at some examples, and then we’ll consider what it is that gives even more credibility to the reality of God and the inspiration of the Scriptures.Knowledge of the FutureUnlike other books, the Bible offers a multitude of specific predictions—some thousands of years in advance—that either have been literally fulfilled or point to a definite future time when they will come true. No other religion has specific, repeated, and unfailing fulfillment of predictions many years in advance of events over which the predictor had no control. The sacred writings of Buddhism, Islam, Confucius, etc., are all missing the element of proven prophecy. These kinds of predictions are unique to the Bible.Only one who is omniscient can accurately predict details of events thousands of years in the future. Limited human beings know the future only if it is told to them by an omniscient Being. God provided this evidence for us so we would know that the Scriptures have a divine Author: “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done.” (Isaiah 46:9,10)In addition, the Bible declares that prophets must be 100 percent accurate—no exceptions. If anyone claimed to be speaking for God and the prophesied event didn’t come to pass, he was proven to be a liar. The writings of Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are littered with false prophecies, so we know can whether they are written by men or by God.The Bible’s sixty-six books, written between 1400 B.C. and A.D. 90, contain approximately 3,856 verses concerned with prophecy. For example, the Scriptures predicted the rise and fall of great empires like Greece and Rome (Daniel 2:39,40), and foretold the destruction of cities like Tyre and Sidon (Isaiah 23). Tyre’s demise is recorded by ancient historians, who tell how Alexander the Great lay siege to the city for seven months. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had failed in a 13-year attempt to capture the seacoast city and completely destroy its inhabitants. During the siege of 573 B.C., much of the population of Tyre moved to its new island home half a mile from the land city. Here it remained surrounded by walls as high as 150 feet until judgment fell in 332 B.C. with the arrival of Alexander the Great. In the seven-month siege, he fulfilled the remainder of the prophecies (Zechariah 9:4; Ezekiel 26:12) concerning the city at sea by completely destroying Tyre, killing 8,000 of its inhabitants and selling 30,000 of its population into slavery. To reach the island, he scraped up the dust and rubble of the old land city of Tyre, just like the Bible predicted, and cast them into the sea, building a 200-foot-wide causeway out to the island. Alexander’s death and the murder of his two sons were also foretold in the Scripture. Another startling prophecy was Jesus’ detailed prediction of Jerusalem’s destruction, and the further dispersion of Jews throughout the world, which is recorded in Luke 21. In A.D. 70, not only was Jerusalem destroyed by Titus, the future emperor of Rome, but another prediction of Jesus’ in Matthew 24:1,2 came to pass—the complete destruction of the temple of God. Even more important are the many prophecies of a coming Messiah. God said He would send someone to redeem mankind from sin, and He wanted there to be no mistake about who that Person would be. For example, in the Book of Daniel, the Bible prophesied the coming of the one and only Jewish Messiah prior to the temple’s demise. The Old Testament prophets declared He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) to a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12,13), die by crucifixion (Psalm 22), and be buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9). There was only one person who fits all of the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament: Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Mary. In all, there are over three hundred prophecies that tell of the ancestry, birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus of Nazareth. All have been literally fulfilled to the smallest detail.A fact often overlooked by critics is that, even if most biblical predictions could be explained naturally, the existence of just one real case of fulfilled prophecy is sufficient to establish the Bible’s supernatural origin. Over 25 percent of the entire Bible contains specific predictive prophecies that have been literally fulfilled. This is true of no other book in the world. And it is a sure sign of its divine origin.Knowledge of Creation Following are a few examples of incredible scientific facts that were written in the Bible, hundreds, even thousands of years before man discovered them.At a time when it was commonly believed that the earth sat on a large animal or a giant (1500 B.C.), the Bible spoke of the earth’s free float in space: “He hangs the earth on nothing” (Job 26:7). Science didn’t discover that the earth hangs on nothing until 1650.The Scriptures tell us that the earth is round: “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth” (Isaiah 40:22). The word translated “circle” here is the Hebrew word chuwg, which is also translated “circuit” or “compass” (depending on the con¬text). That is, it indicates something spherical or rounded—not flat or square. The Book of Isaiah was written between 740 and 680 B.C. This is at least 300 years before Aristotle suggested, in his book On the Heavens, that the earth might be a sphere. It was another 2,000 years later (at a time when science believed that the earth was flat) that the Scriptures inspired Christopher Columbus to sail around the world. Matthew Maury (1806–1873) is considered the father of oceanography. He noticed the expression “paths of the seas” in Psalm 8:8 (written 2,800 years ago) and stated, “If God said there are paths in the sea, I am going to find them.” Maury then took God at His word and went looking for these paths, and we are indebted to him for his discovery of the warm and cold continental currents. His book on oceanography remains a basic text on the subject and is still used in universities. Only in recent years has science discovered that everything we see is composed of things that we cannot see invisible atoms. In Hebrews 11:3, written 2,000 years ago, Scripture tells us that the “things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”Three different places in the Bible (Isaiah 51:6; Psalm 102:25,26; Hebrews 1:11) indicate that the earth is wearing out. This is what the Second Law of Thermodynamics (the Law of Increasing Entropy) states: that in all physical processes, every ordered system over time tends to become more disordered. Everything is running down and wearing out as energy is becoming less and less available for use. That means the universe will eventually “wear out” to the extent that (theoretically speaking) there will be a “heat death” and therefore no more energy available for use. This wasn’t discovered by science until recently, but the Bible states it in concise terms. The Scriptures inform us, “All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place from which the rivers come, there they return again” (Ecclesiastes 1:7). This statement alone may not seem profound. But when considered with other biblical passages, it becomes all the more remarkable. For example, the Mississippi River dumps approximately 518 billion gallons of water every 24 hours into the Gulf of Mexico. Where does all that water go? And that’s just one of thousands of rivers. The answer lies in the hydrologic cycle, so well brought out in the Bible. Ecclesiastes 11:3 states that “if the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth.” Look at the Bible’s words in Amos 9:6: “He...calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the face of the earth.” The idea of a complete water cycle was not fully understood by science until the seventeenth century. However, more than two thousand years prior to the discoveries of Pierre Perrault, Edme Mariotte, Edmund Halley, and others, the Scriptures clearly spoke of a water cycle. The Scriptures also describe a “cycle” of air currents two thousand years before scientists discovered them: “The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north; the wind whirls about continually, and comes again on its circuit” (Ecclesiastes 1:6). We now know that air around the earth turns in huge circles, clockwise in one hemisphere and counterclockwise in the other. The Bible declares, “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished” (Genesis 2:1). The original Hebrew uses the past definite tense for the verb “finished,” indicating an action completed in the past, never again to occur. The creation was “finished”—once and for all. That is exactly what the First Law of Thermodynamics says. This law (often referred to as the Law of the Con¬ser¬vation of Energy and/or Mass) states that neither matter nor energy can be either created or destroyed. It was because of this Law that Sir Fred Hoyle’s “Steady-State” (or “Continuous Creation”) Theory was discarded. Hoyle stated that at points in the universe called “irtrons,” matter (or energy) was constantly being created. But, the First Law states just the opposite. Indeed, there is no “creation” ongoing today. It is “finished” exactly as the Bible states. In Genesis 6, God gave Noah the dimensions of the 1.5 million cubic foot ark he was to build. In 1609 at Hoorn in Holland, a ship was built after that same pattern (30:5:3), revolutionizing ship-building. By 1900 every large ship on the high seas was inclined toward the proportions of the ark (verified by “Lloyd’s Register of Shipping” in the World Almanac). Since God is the Author of creation as well as the Bible, it’s only natural that the two should correspond. While the Bible is not intended to be a scientific book, the scientific statements it makes are accurate. In his book Proofs of God’s Existence, Richard Wurmbrand explains:In antiquity and in what is called the Dark Ages, men did not know what they now know about humanity and the cosmos. They did not know the lock but they possessed the key, which is God. Now many have excellent descriptions of the lock but they have lost the key. The proper solution is union between religion and science. We should be owners of the lock and the key. The fact is that as science advances, it discovers what was said thousands of years ago in the Bible.106There Is Another WayI know that many who read through the above evidences of the Bible being divinely inspired will disregard them. They maintain that we are reading into Scripture something that was never intended by the writers. So, in an effort to counter this reaction, I am going to present my case from another angle. What I am going to say flies in the face of many respected Bible teachers. It almost sounds like heresy, but I will say it anyway because it’s important. The Christian’s salvation isn’t dependent on his belief in or understanding of the Scriptures. Why does that fly in the face of many? Because they believe that our salvation depends on the Word of God. They believe that everything we have in Christ stands or falls on the promises of the Bible. The Scriptures are the foundation for our faith. While I absolutely believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, I don’t believe our salvation stands or falls on our believing the Bible. To illustrate this, let’s look at two men who are in a Russian dungeon. One is a Christian who has been horribly tortured for his faith. As he lies dying in his cell, he shares his faith with his unbelieving cellmate. The other prisoner is a bitter man who so despised Christians that he hadn’t spoken to him since they were forced to share the tiny cell. But this day was different. He listens intently to the dying man’s words, because he is on his deathbed. Through parched lips the Christian once again whispers the Ten Commandments, showing sin to be very serious in the sight of God. The man becomes deeply concerned as his conscience begins to bear witness to what he is hearing.107 The moral Law shows him that he has a serious problem with God’s wrath.108 There is no talk of a God-shaped hole in his heart, a wonderful plan for his life, or the promise of any benefits of faith in Jesus during this life. How could the Christian talk of a “wonderful plan” that so many speak of, while he lies dying because he had been beaten for his faith? The prisoner listens as he is told that he is a desperately wicked criminal who needs forgiveness from the God he has greatly angered. Then he hears the pure gospel of the love of God in Christ, and of the necessity of repentance and faith. He hears of the One who can wash him clean. It answers his problem of coming wrath of which he is now convinced. The Christian then pleads with him to repent, breaths his last, and passes into eternity. The prisoner is left alone in the cold cell. He is shaken by what he has just heard. He falls to his knees on the hard floor and trembles before God. He can hardly lift his head because of the weight of his sins. In humble contrition, he openly confesses his many transgressions against God’s Law. He pleads for mercy, repents, and places his entire trust in Jesus Christ for his eternal salvation. He has no Bible. He has no fellowship. He has no one to “follow up” with him. He is entirely alone. The next day he wakens while still lying on the floor. As he opens his tired eyes, something is different. Something is radically different. There is a new song in his heart. It’s not a “song” that he could sing, but it’s some sort of a joy that he can hardly express. He also has a sense of peace that is beyond his comprehension. He has never felt these emotions before, and what is mystifying is that he has no reason to feel this joy. He is tired, alone, and hungry, in a cold dungeon. He also notices that he is no longer ashamed to lift his head to the heavens. In fact, he wants to speak to God in prayer. But more than that, he has an overwhelming desire to please Him more than anything else in his life. He even notices that his nagging conscience was silenced and any sense of guilt about any of his past sins is gone. He is amazed at what he has experienced. Again, nothing like this has ever happened before—-not for a fleeting moment in his bitter, godless years. Never. God was the last thing on his mind.He then looks at the lifeless body of the cellmate he once despised, and longs to speak with him. He wants to ask for his forgiveness. He wants to talk about the God who made Himself known to him, the God who forgave him for his sins...the God who loved him enough to send His Son to die for him. This was more than some sort of subjective experience. He was a brand new person with a new heart and new desires. Tears filled his eyes as he thought of the cross of Jesus Christ. Oh, that wonderful cross! Jesus of Nazareth had suffered and died for him! Then He defeated death. The man’s heart almost burst with joy. After five more years of solitary confinement, our prisoner has grown in his faith. He has preached the gospel to hardened guards. He has told them of the standard of perfection with which God would judge them, opening up the Ten Commandments. He has faithfully shared the reality of Judgment Day and the terrors of an eternal Hell. He preaches that Christ was crucified for the sin of the world, and stresses the necessity of repentance and faith. The guards taunt him regularly, and now and then beat him. He, in return, prays earnestly for their salvation. He also prays for the salvation of his family, and for the world. He continually worships God and lives a life of holiness, free from sin, trusting minute by minute in the finished work of Calvary’s cross. Notice that he is a Christian. He is born again. He knows that he has passed from death to life. He is a believer who is strong in his faith and he has not yet even seen a Bible or spoken to another Christian. His faith rests on the fact that God made him a new creature, wrote His Law on his heart and caused him to walk in His statutes.109 He is a new person, a “new man which was created according to God, in true right¬eousness and holiness.”110 Old things passed away and all things became new.111 This is because He was born of God.112 The New Testament didn’t convert him. It is the gospel that is the power of God to salvation.113 Neither did the New Testament spiritually feed him. He now has the Spirit of God living within him to guide him into all truth.114 His faith wasn’t in the Scriptures, or a church, or a pastor, or another Christian. It wasn’t in his good works or in his religion. It was the fact that he was a new creature that convinced him of the reality of God. The New Testament addresses this thought: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation”115 (emphasis added). The Explanation BookOne day, a sympathetic guard slips the prisoner a battered and well-used New Testament that once belonged to his deceased cellmate. The prisoner doesn’t even know what “The New Testament” is. He wasn’t aware that there was such a thing. But from what the guard said, all he knows is that it is a book about the Savior he knows and loves. He carefully opens its sacred pages for the first time in his life, and for the next few days he drinks in its truths about Jesus of Nazareth. Does his faith stand or fall on the New Testament truths? No. His faith was strong before he even opened the Scriptures. However, his faith is now strengthened by the fact that this 2,000-year-old book confirmed his experience. It brought him comfort.116 It explained why he suddenly longed for Christian fellowship.117 It mentioned his peace that passed all understanding,118 and it spoke about why he loved Jesus Christ (whom he had never seen), and why he had an unspeakable joy that bubbled within him.119 It ad¬dressed the fact that he was born again,120 was a new creature in Christ,121 and why he continually thought of Jesus of Nazareth122 and the cross.123 This was the experience of the converted at the birth of Christianity. Early Christians didn’t have a Bible. It wasn’t yet compiled. Most couldn’t read. Besides, there was no such thing as the printing press. They were saved by believing the spoken message that they heard. How do I know that Christianity is true? Is it dependent on the inspiration of the Bible? No. My faith doesn’t rise or fall on that fact. Remember, I can be a Christian and not even know that the Bible exists. The Scriptures simply confirm my experience and provide spiritual nourishment to help me to grow in my faith.124 Christianity isn’t true because the Bible confirms it. It is true with or without the Scriptures. I believe in Jesus Christ because I know Him experientially. The moral Law put me at the edge of a plane door, looking in horror at a 10,000-foot drop. The gospel perfectly addressed that problem. I am persuaded of the absolute truth of Christianity because it answered my need for a Savior and made me a new person in Jesus Christ. Dwight Eisenhower rightly surmised,It takes no brains to be an atheist. Any stupid person can deny the existence of a supernatural power because man’s physical senses cannot detect it. But there cannot be ignored the influence of conscience, the respect we feel for the moral Law, the mystery of first life...or the marvelous order in which the universe moves about us on this earth. All these evidence the handiwork of the beneficent Deity...That Deity is the God of the Bible and Jesus Christ, His Son. Test It for YourselfFor anyone who is open to the truth, there is indeed 100 percent scientific (knowledge-producing) proof of God:Creation produces intellectual knowledge of God.For since the creation of the world His invisible at¬tri¬butes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and God¬head, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)Conscience produces subconscious knowledge of God. ...who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them. (Romans 2:15)Conversion produces experiential knowledge of God. Jesus said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:21)Creation reveals that there is an omnipotent, divine Creator to whom we owe our existence. It leaves us without excuse for chopping down a tree and carving an idol, and then falling before that idol and believing it is the Creator...or believing that “Mother Nature” is all there is. It is the human conscience that points to the moral character and the requirements of God. We know that if there is a universal moral Law, then there is a Lawgiver—a God to whom we are accountable. It is the Law of God that awakens the conscience so that we can hear its voice of alarm, and turn in repentance and faith to the only Savior, Jesus Christ. God has revealed Himself to us in the physical world and in our conscience. There’s one way to prove to yourself that God exists. Flick the switch.Notes106. Richard Wurmbrand, Proofs of God’s Existence (Bartlesville, OK: Living Sacrifice Books, 2007), p. 72.107. See Romans 2:15.108. See Romans 4:15.109. Ezekiel 11:19,20.110. Ephesians 4:24.111. 2 Corinthians 5:17.112. John 1:12,13.113. Romans 1:16.114. John 16:13.115. Galatians 6:15.116. Romans 15:4. 117. 1 John 3:14.118. Philippians 4:7.119. 1 Peter 1:8.120. John 3:3–7; 1 Peter 1:23.121. 2 Corinthians 5:17.122. John 16:14.123. Galatians 6:14.124. 1 Peter 2:2.
For Evangelism Resources, please visit LivingWaters.com.
For Evangelism Resources, please visit LivingWaters.com.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Homeschoolers maple syrup-maybe next year
We checked our trees to see if we could find any sugar maples, and found that the flood made it harder to find them. I am not the tree expert to tell by the tree bark,-- yet.
The flood, or actually floods this winter washed about everything but the trees away,. I was thinking of possibly findng a few leaves on the ground to match in a leaf chart, to no avail. But, there are a few sand bars through the woods that were not there before, you do not see that every day. God willing we will find some this year when the leaves come back. Hopefully this weekend I will have a little more time to tell about the trip to the Maple sugar farm we visited last week.
jamiev
The flood, or actually floods this winter washed about everything but the trees away,. I was thinking of possibly findng a few leaves on the ground to match in a leaf chart, to no avail. But, there are a few sand bars through the woods that were not there before, you do not see that every day. God willing we will find some this year when the leaves come back. Hopefully this weekend I will have a little more time to tell about the trip to the Maple sugar farm we visited last week.
jamiev
Thursday, March 13, 2008
It"s not spring, but we have the fever
61 degrees today, and sunny!!!!!!!!!!!!! Homeschooling gets a bit more tricky out here on the farm, when it starts to get nicer weather. The kids really wants to be outside. Normally they can get their work done in about 2.5 hours. So the trick is to get started early before they really notice what it looks like out there,......... before they know it,...... their done and out in that beautiful weather. Works for us-----most of the time.
jamiev
jamiev
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
She is Nesting-Beautiful foggy morning
Amy is apx. 10 days away from giving birth to our 4th blessing, and she is "nesting." Moms out there will know what I am talking about. We are cleaning everything and helping her get ready with what ever she needs to get the house into that comfy-ready state she wants. Most importantly we are praying for peace and calmness for her and the little one. That is the ready- to-go state our Lord created the female body to need to be in to give birth. He absolutely knows best.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
More Farm info
www.sugargrovenaturecenter.org check it out
phone# 309-874-2174
If your in the area, it is a wonderful place.
We will post sugar taping info, for you do-it-your-selfers, very soon.
jamiev
phone# 309-874-2174
If your in the area, it is a wonderful place.
We will post sugar taping info, for you do-it-your-selfers, very soon.
jamiev
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
